Potato Goodness Makes for Strong, Healthy, and Happy Kids

School days mean that my kids are busy and active the whole day, every day. And because they’re subject to so much activities during school hours, they come home really tired. If they don’t get siesta, my daughters would be sleeping really early in the night (and I’d miss out on seeing them awake when I get home from work).

As they’re too busy with a lot of things, I worry about their health. Their little bodies bombarded with activities—it concerns me that they’d soon feel weak and get sick. That’s why it’s important for me as a mom to give keen attention to their nutrition.

And one way to do it is to give them regular servings of vegetables. They do eat them but their ultimate favorite? POTATO. Yup, they love the spud. Probably because it was one of the first solid food they tried out. But before you get concerned and think they’re not good carbs (like what some diet fads say), truth is that the potato contains quality carbs that help optimize mental and physical performance. And did you know that the potato is a superfood? It’s packed with the following:

Vitamin C that boosts immunity

Vitamin B6 that improves cognitive function

Potassium that is essential for growth and building muscles

Potatoes are also naturally fat-, sodium-, and cholesterol-free. So what are other people saying about potatoes again?

My kids actually love potatoes, whether they’re in their lola’s afritada or as French fries. But I learned recently that there are other ways you can cook them: as soups, salads, main dishes, and—surprisingly—dessert. Potatoes USA, an organization that has brought US frozen, US tablestock, and US dehydrated potatoes to the Philippines, offers a lot of options for potato meals. They recently visited the Culinary Club of The Raya School in Fairview, QC where the middle school student members of the club were introduced to the potato’s benefits and had a preparation and cooking workshop with Chef Kristine Lotilla.

Middle school students of The Raya School’s Culinary Club had a blast making dishes with potatoes as the main ingredient

I actually got curious with one of the recipes they did: the Chocolate Mashed Potato Truffles. I’m used to potato as a savory dish. But sweet? Now that’s interesting.

If using freshly made, warm mashed potatoes, mix in butter and milk. If using leftovers with no butter or milk in them, melt the butter and mix it in, along with the milk.

Set a wire mesh sieve over a large bowl and, working in batches, push your potatoes through the sieve with a rubber spatula or spoon. This will give you ultra-fine and fluffy mashed potatoes.

Mix honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract into the potatoes. Add more honey or vanilla as needed.

Form the potato dough into teaspoon-sized balls and set aside on a large plate. Put your topping ingredients in small bowls for later.

Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the dark chocolate until ¾ is melted. Stir to melt the rest.

Set potato balls on a fork and dunk in chocolate. Roll into the desired topping. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes until the chocolate hardens.

Makes 25 servings. Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Who would have guessed this yummy dessert/snack is made of potatoes?

Ooh, I’m thinking of doing this with eldest. 🙂

Potatoes USA also offers a lot of other recipes that I think the whole family will enjoy. I believe that preparing and including these stupendous spuds in our meals would surely help make my daughters healthier and happier. And it’s also a great way for the kids to learn that there’s so much more to eating right than just avoiding sweets.

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